Monthly Archives: December 2011

They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed – Mark 6:56

At amazes me that everyone who touched Jesus was healed! Healed from what? Well the list is endless. It doesn’t really matter what they were healed from, the important thing is that they were healed; meaning Jesus restored what was broken.

Just think about this for a moment. We live in a broken world. We have broken governments, broken schools, broken homes, broken marriages, broken systems, broken finances, broken churches and broken lives. So if this is the case, and just touching Jesus will bring healing, then shouldn’t this be our aim as Christians and leaders. Shouldn’t we be leading people to the point they can touch Jesus?

Seems obvious, and most churches in the world would agree that is their aim. However, I believe the church is also the very hands and feet of the resurrected Christ. If this is the case then when people are touched by the church, shouldn’t they be healed? Shouldn’t they find restoration for their brokenness?

I honestly believe that as a church we need to position ourselves to be able to touch people, but the problem is that many have stopped touching Christ themselves, and if the church stops touching Christ then how can anyone find restoration when the church touches them. It’s one big link almost like a string of Christmas lights!

This world needs healing; it is the mandate of the church to touch the world so they can receive healing. Don’t be the broken link that stops the flow, reach out and touch him who we call Jesus and be healed!

I have just finished reading ‘The Pursuit of God’ by AW Tozer, and to say it rocked my world would be an understatement!

It’s one of those old books which aren’t always easy to understand, put there was just something about it that I could put it down.

In a world where people are constantly on the pursuit for something I honestly believe we forget to pursue God. I think of church leaders for example; we pursue the next big thing, we pursue multi site, church growth, leadership, creativity, church planting, the best show in town, small groups, social justice, youth ministry, kids ministry, direct mail, big events and so many others things. In fact whatever you want to pursue there’s a conference or a network you can attend to help you in your pursuit.

However, how many of us are really pursuing God? How many of us lie in bed at night wondering how we can get closer to God or increase our intimacy of God? How many of us wake up in the morning realizing that before we can achieve we must search? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself.

The church seems to be getting bigger, our effects seem to be successful and our models seem to be working, but at what cost?

If our number one pursuit isn’t a personal yearning and longing for the one we call Yahweh then all our effcets may bring ‘success’ here on earth, but we may find they just rang as loud noisy empty cymbols in heaven.

Lord, help me to be a man who before I do anything else learns how to pursue you. Let you word, your character, your statutes and your truth be my number one aim. Not fame, not recognition, not success or anything else this world pushes us to pursue, but let my life’s pursuit be you! As the deer yearns after the water when it’s thirsty, let my soul sing a song of never ending pursuit of you. Amen.

For one the effect of boredom, another the effect of remembering a story they heard as a child in Sunday School. Others may feel the effect of affirming their theology or the guilt of their lifestyle.

However, the longer I am on this journey of faith the more the Bible has become important. That’s an obvious statement for most Christians because they see the Bible as almost a Playbook or a map to helping them with their lives. Yet the Bible has become more than a map or guide to life for me. It’s become the place that I have started to listen!

When I was a baby believer I would read the Bible then put it down and get on with my life, and to be honest I struggled to find it relevant for my life. Now things are different, now I listen. As I read I have become aware that the bible is the truth of God and it always points to the voice of God. In fact Jesus has a name that the Apostle John called The Word and the truth of God tells us that The Word is alive and active. This must mean that for a word to be alive it is still speaking.

So now when I open my Bible I read a little and listen a lot. I realize The Word wants to be alive and active in my life.

So next time you open the good ole book don’t just read it, listen to it, you’ll hear something and that something will change your life forever!